The safety of regional and rural students will receive a boost of $1.1 million through the Federal Government’s Regional School Busses programme.
This programme will upgrade over 61 buses across the country to enable kids to buckle up on their way to and from school.
Sadly around 25 people are killed in bus crashes each year and a further 200 are hospitalised. Regional bus routes are longer and have higher travel speeds and are often on unsealed roads. The installation of seatbelts through this programme will continue to have a positive impact on safety for school children.
The Regional School Busses programme allows bus operators on recognised rural and regional routes to apply for up $25,000 to have seatbelts installed in new buses or retrofitted to existing vehicles. Since the programme began in 2007, seatbelts have been installed on 473 buses.
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Veterans’ Health Week will be held from 13-19 October 2014 and will provide an opportunity for veterans and their families to consider health and wellbeing.
The Department of Veteran’s Affairs and Ex-service organisations will be working with the community on events during Veterans’ Health Week and I encourage residents to get involved.
The Department also provides some funding support for events for Veterans’ Health Week.
Applications for VHW 2014 Funding are available at www.dva.gov.au or please call my office 02 6882 0999 for more information. Applications close on the 29th August 2014.
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This week beyondblue‘s National Roadshow will be touring in the Parkes Electorate, visiting Cobar, Bourke, Brewarrina and Lightning Ridge.
The idea behind the Roadshow is to encourage residents to consider mental health and to take action to get support if it is needed.
The Roadshow will be making the following stops:
· 26th August- Cobar- Cobar Bowling and Golf Club- 6.30pm-9.30pm
· 27th August- Bourke- Ronny Gibbs 7’s annual Rugby League and Netball Tournament- 10.00am-3.30pm.
· 28th August- Bourke- Central Park- 12.00pm-3.00pm.
· 29th August- Brewarrina- Brewarrina Information Centre- 10.00am-1.00pm
· 30th August- Lightning Ridge- Corner or Opal and Morilla Streets- 10.00am-1.00pm.
More information about the services offered by beyondblue is available at www.beyondblue.org.au.